by Kwan Booth

In the seven years since its inception, the PeaceOut
festival has come a long way. When the small group of LGBT hip-hop performers
and fans gathered together in Oakland's deFremery Park in 2001, no one knew
that it would be the start of a global movement.

But that's exactly what happened. When the annual PeaceOut
World Homo Hop Festival touches down at Oakland's 21 Grand this Saturday night,
September 22, the event promises to showcase a more mature scene, one with a
steady and expanding worldwide audience.

"It's important as a symbol," said Juba Kalamka,
the festival's director, reflecting on the importance of the event. "There
needs to be a safe space for out queer performance."

Before PeaceOut, gay artists were often made to grin and
bear it as straight performers took center stage. Because of this, Kalamka said
that he was initially reluctant when promoter Pete King approached him with the
idea of organizing a hip-hop addition to the East Bay Pride celebration that he
used to produce.

"I wasn't interested in booking some straight performer
for $15,000 that gay people happened to like. Not when there are so many
talented queer performers," recalled Kalamka, a founding member of Deep
Dickollective.

But with the help of a network of artists and organizers,
PeaceOut has grown to include companion festivals in New York, Atlanta, and
London while the larger homo-hop movement has been steadily gaining strength
and challenging convention.

The 2005 documentary Pick up the Mic
brought queer hip-hop to audiences around the world.
Web sites like http://www.Gayhiphop.com,
http://www.Lesbianhiphop.com, and http://www.Phat-family.org have provided
a digital meeting place for fans. And following Kalamka's lead, other promoters
have begun organizing events, such as San Diego's HomoRevolution, the first
touring homo-hop festival, with 10 stops throughout the Southwest.

"It's great for the exposure for artists and it allows
the community to be aware" said lesbian rapper JenRo of South San
Francisco. She added that as the culture grows it provides "an outlet for
you to feel safe as a gay artist or an artist of color or female."

With their newfound visibility, gay hip-hoppers have begun
to challenge the system and gain new respect. Los Angeles "Gayngsta
rapper" Deadlee made headlines in January after calling out 50 Cent,
Eminem, and DMX on homophobic lyrics. Earlier this month, Common, a hip-hop
star known both for his positive lyrics and anti-gay remarks, issued an apology
to the LGBT community and vowed to erase negative comments from his music.

Still, for all the advances, artists say there is still a
long way to go. Getting respect and recognition is still no picnic. "The
grind is harder being a queer artist," said Jen-Ro, who tours regularly
and is set to release her second album, My Window, later this year.

Kalamka said that he regularly receives e-mails from young
queer rappers looking for advice on breaking into the industry and while some
find fan bases online, "There are a zillion out gay rappers, but not many
of them have a context outside of MySpace."

But while the scene is still maturing and mainstream success
remains elusive, Saturday's show – with performances by Julie Fucking
Potter, NaR, Jen-Ro, Katastrophe, Deep Dickollective, DJ Blackinthelight, and
Dutchboy among others – serves as further evidence that homo-hop is here
to stay.